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Fishin4Life 0

I do know that it does require two batteries. As far as power, I can't answer that. What model minnKota are you looking at? Maybe that could help for people that own that model, or possibley suggest a better one...etc

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solbes 0

You do need two batteries for 24V systems. I personally have a smaller 16' boat, so a 55 lb thrust, 12V system works great. I don't do a lot of fishing on big water either.

If you have a bigger boat and/or spend a lot of time trying to hold position in windy conditions, then you should look at the higher thrust ratings which are typically 24V systems. Double the voltage will cut the current draw in half, thereby allowing your batteries to have much longer capacities.

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BobT 104

BobT 104

The advantage and probably the reason for using 24v systems on the larger thrust motors is because a 24v motor can acheive the same horsepower with less current draw. This allows for smaller wires. My 40pd Minnkota uses 8ga wire to handle the current demand which can be as high as 42A. If this motor could be rewired for 24v, it would only use about 21A max to acheive the same power output. The wires could be much smaller.

Bob

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Guest

Guest

You need 2 batteries. You will have more consistent power, and much better run time with a 24v motor. They will hold up to the demands of fishing on choppy water, and they will run forever on calm water.

On higher thrust settings, you have about twice the run time of 12v motors(calm water), on rough water the 24v system will run way longer because you are not forced to run it as hard as the smaller motors to acheive boat control(much longer battery life in rough water). On lower settings, you will putt around all week with a 24v motor.

If finances allow, and you fish more than a few hours at a time.. buy a 24v motor and a couple decent batteries and you will not be dissapointed. Models with the maximizers are best, and get much better speed control.

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lanyard 0

lanyard 0

Thanks folks, that's exactly what I was looking for. Doing leg work for my brother in-law who is in Iraq right now. He got a little surprise- his company had instituted a reward system for sales, etc. that funded without his knowledge! The points are redemable at Cabela's!

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mtreno 0

you are still drawing more power with the 12 volt - yes two batts will last longer than one but i still think a 24 volt system will last longer. just does not need the same amount of power to run.

think of it this way - you need 1/3 power on your 24 volt system to keep fishing in the wind - spred out over two batts - the same fishing conditions you need 2/3 power on your 12 volt motor to keep up - thus drawing down your 2 12-volt batts faster - adding an extra battery to your 12 volt system will not increse power of the motor itself

I think its fairly close to comparing elec. motor's for AC, you will still use the same amount of power whether using 120 volts or 240 volts. Voltage drop will be less for higher voltage with the same size wire though so it will help a little.

Unless I am missing something and you can explain how come a 12 volt needs more power to do the same job as a 24 volt?

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eurolarva 0

Country boy is correct with his power formulas. 24 volt motors can go twice as fast as a 12 volt motor however it will burn energy twice as fast. Also 2/3 power at 12 volts is 7.92 volts and 1/3 power at 24 volts is also 7.92 volts. The only thing a 24 volt motor is going to get you is more thrust. On a 12 volt 35 lb thrust motor is rated for 14 hours on position 1 where you will get 28 hours if you have two batteries. Chances are you will get similar results for the same speed out of a 24 volt system.

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Guest

Guest

You guys debate it, I'll just troll right past you when your battery(s) go dead(no pun intended). Thrust has a lot to do with it also. A 40# 12v trolling motor full throttle is going to run for 2 hours, a 80# thrust 24v motor at 1/2 throttle (40# thrust)will run for 8 hours. You have to take in to consideration diffrent motors and larger props, and also the load your motor is pushing. If you are underpower... your going to use a lot of extra juice, if you are over power, its compensated for with a lower speed setting and there is very little wasted energy. All Minnkota motors will have a top speed of about 6 mph whether they have 30# thrust, or 101# thrust. If the motor is only capable of pushing your boat 2.2 mph.. your motor is working hard and will be far less efficient, if you are capble of reaching 4-5 mph, you will operate much more effieciently at all speed ranges... or your going to fish a heck of a lot longer with a trolling motor set on 15% to hold position and your desired fishing speed on a windy day than speed 3-4 on the less powerful motor. to fish with the same control and speed.

I am just speaking from experience here. I used to fish the city lakes(trolling motor only) and pull shad raps 5 days/week. I started with a 36# motor, then upgraded to a 40#, then the 50#, and finally I upgraded to a 65# motor. The 36 and 40 pound thrust I could only troll for 4 hours with 2 batteries(group 29) and I had to make a run for the access.. still ended up paddling more than once. The 50# was much better, I could troll 5 hours and *limp* back to the access... this was on a 14' bench type boat(very light). The 65# motor mounted on a 16' boat now(considerably heavier) I have never run out of juice yet. I have trolled as long as 7 hours averaging about 1.6 - 2 mph and still had 30% power left at the end of the outing.

Its very nice getting on the water and having one less thing to worry about... dead batteries are no fun, especially when your on trolling motor only lakes.

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countryboy9799 0

countryboy9799 0

The minnkota ad's I have read is that the cheaper one's are more likely not to have the maximizer feature on them, maybe yours didnt? The ad states that it will run 5 time's longer with it, dont know if that is true or not though.

Maybe you can post some effeciency chart's to say that a 40lb thrust is not as effecient as a 80lb running at half throttle.

With all that said it's really watt's that get the job done, effeciency of the motor will make a difference though.

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Whoaru99 0

Whoaru99 0

Yup, a watt is a watt regardless if it's a "12 volt" watt or a "24 volt" watt.

If it takes 40 lbs of thrust to move your boat "X" MPH, it requires "Y" amount of power to do so. I don't follow where the difference would come in between a 40lb motor running at 100% and a 80lb motor running 50%. They are both putting out 40lb thrust and that requires a certain amount of power. As I see it, only if one or the other has a significant efficiency advantage (e.g. Maximizer vs. non-Maximizer) should there be a significant edge in run time.

If the two motors were essentially equal in all regards except 12 volts vs 24 volts, the 24 volt probably would have a slight efficiency edge. But, that edge is not going to be like a night and day difference. I'm just speculating on this but I'd say perhaps 5% or 10% advantage to 24 volt system.

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Valv 0

Regardless of speculations, thoughts, calculations, and theories you cannot get any motor above 55lbs and 12volts.

65lbs and up are all 24 volts, and 101 and up 36 volts....

A 12 volt motor is made for a smaller boat which can accomodate just 1 battery comfortably (weight and endurance), the 24 volts are for larger boats that can accomodate 2 batteries comfortably, then 36 volts are for very large boats that can accomodate 3 batteries.

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BobT 104

BobT 104

I would bet that a 55pd 12v motor will come with very large supply wires. Probably in the 6ga category or larger. Make a motor any larger than that in 12v and you are likely to have some massive wires. Redesigning the motor for 24v provides the same power consumption with half the wire size. Much less costly to build.

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solbes 0

That's a good point on wire size. I had to rig my 12V 55# with 6 gauge wire to avoid voltage loss through the wire. Not too bad of an expense though.

It comes down to boat size and intended use. If it's any larger than 16' and/or heavy then go with the 24V. Also if he fishes windy conditions while trying to hold position (Mille Lacs,Leech, etc), then go for 24V.

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Whoaru99 0

Whoaru99 0

I think somewhere along the lines, the OP's question got expanded into "does a 24 volt motor (needing two batteries, of course) run longer than a comparable 12 volt motor connected to two batteries". I believe the answer is no, not significantly, all other things being equal.

If the OP has room for two batteries, and needs that much thrust potential, then sure, 24 volts is the way to go.

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Court ruling would place unnecessary burdens on more than 500,000 White Bear Lake area residents
Judge’s ruling would immediately halt important development within 5 miles of White Bear Lake, stalling road construction, utility improvements, and residential construction
Ruling not supported by scientific evidence, creating precedent that could restrict development and impose new burdens on residents across Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources today announced it will appeal a Ramsey County District Court ruling regarding water management of White Bear Lake and its surrounding groundwater. Without appeal, the court’s ruling would place unnecessary burdens on more than 500,000 White Bear Lake area residents, and immediately halt important development within 5 miles of the lake – stalling road and utility improvements, business growth, and residential construction.
The judge’s ruling – which is not rooted in the best available science – would not significantly help the lake reach the court’s desired water level, and would likely set a new statewide precedent imposing similar burdens and restrictions on residents, businesses, and communities across Minnesota.
“The DNR is strongly committed to protecting Minnesota’s many precious water resources, including White Bear Lake and its surrounding aquifers. We take that responsibility very seriously,” said DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr. “But responsible, effective water management must be supported by sound science. The decisions we make must balance the needs of all Minnesota residents and businesses to ensure everyone has reliable access to clean, affordable water. That important balance, and the quality of life we all enjoy, are at stake in this ruling, which merits a thorough review by the Minnesota Court of Appeals.”
Under the District Court’s ruling, if water levels remain below 923.5 feet above sea level in White Bear Lake, new irrigation and development restrictions would be imposed on area residents and businesses. DNR data show, however, that White Bear Lake’s water levels have registered below this proposed 923.5-foot trigger level in 48 out of the past 58 years. And according to the best available science, the DNR has concluded these new restrictions would have little impact on raising or maintaining the court’s desired water levels in White Bear Lake.
Nonetheless, if the District Court’s ruling is not overturned, residential watering would be banned for 500,000 area residents by early 2018, and could not resume until the lake rises above 924 feet. Under the court’s ruling, this expansive residential watering restriction would remain in place for multiple years during dry periods, and would have likely been in place for the past 10 years had the court’s order been in effect.
Additionally, all temporary water permits for construction within 5 miles of White Bear Lake would be immediately prohibited under the court’s ruling – a change that would stall road construction, utility, and residential development projects in area communities. In the last five years alone, 31 construction projects within 5 miles of the lake required such a permit.
“The DNR is firmly committed to protecting our lakes, rivers, and aquifers. But unnecessary water restrictions can be profoundly disruptive to people, our economy, and communities,” Landwehr said. “The science does not support such a broad irrigation ban, nor these extremely restrictive development prohibitions. More importantly, these restrictions would do little to achieve or sustain desirable water levels in White Bear Lake.”
Landwehr said, however, that the agency does believe some changes to water use may be needed and it is developing an enhanced water model to better understand the impact of pumping from specific wells near White Bear Lake. “This is information that we have only recently been able to develop,” he said. “With this new tool, we are committed to working with local communities, businesses and residents to make carefully targeted, well-informed modifications to water use in the area.”
DNR water experts and local government leaders have serious concerns about the precedent the court’s ruling could establish. If applied elsewhere in Minnesota, this restrictive approach to water management could severely curtail new and amended groundwater appropriation permits for all types of uses, beyond what is needed to ensure water sustainability.
The DNR has until Oct. 30 to appeal the court’s decision, but is announcing its decision now because many area communities are concerned with the ruling and want to know how the DNR will proceed. During the appeal process, the DNR will work with permit holders in the White Bear Lake area to implement some elements of the ruling. The agency will be talking soon with communities about how it will approach this in as collaborative a manner as possible.
Discuss below - to view set the hook here.

I wouldn't let length or hp determine that, just the wind. I saw a boat that lost a rivet this last year and have heard about a weld cracking out there. The wind is no joke out there and any boat can take a hit. If it is really windy I just swing into Kabekona Bay. Otherwise, just count on it taking a while to get out to spots.

I do, never thought about it. I will ask my buddy and I will have to work on blind retrieves. I never have done blind retrieves with Finn. I will have learn up on it now. If you have any tips or tricks it would help. Thank you Dave

Didn't catch a ton of fish this weekend but the ones we got were beauties. Just a bunch 15-17 inch fish with a 25" mixed in there. Last 2 days have been tough after the storm Sunday night. Marking tons of fish still and getting a good amount of bites on both spinners and lindys but most are biting short and tough to hook on the big minnows. Don't really want to throw on a stinger hook but that might be the way to go. Maybe should try pulling some cranks too.
Looks like the rest of the week should be stable weather and good fishing!

Water temps are hovering in the low 60’s despite the very fall like weather we are experiencing.

The scenic Canadian shore lines are coming to life with various critters. Otter, bear and more making preparations for the coming winter.

Walleye fishing in Canada is excellent with a jig and minnow or shiner. The most productive environment has been gaps at 15-18’ with plenty of current present. Good numbers of perch are being caught off deep edges or reefs at 30’ or more. Crappies are a little more difficult this week, the best chances are on a light set up.

Around Minnesota, walleyes can still be had with a crankbait but favored methods are switching over to a jig tipped with a shiner on main lake points between 20 and 24’.

Muskies are moving deeper with anglers transitioning from casting to trolling. There is still time to boat a big fall fish!

Im not a waterfowl guy and dont do a lot of it. But isn't that why you retriever guys do blind retrieves?
My GSP's dont always mark down birds either and I just send them with hand signals. I think its just something we have worked on over time.
Do you know anyone that has access to a zinger winger launcher etc. That's about the only other way to replicate it with out doing the real thing.

Thanks Dave this seemed to help with grouse, woodcocks,and ducks.
How does a guy get a dog to stay focused on the sky watching for birds? Finn did great at sitting or laying down for ducks but he does not watch for them so he does not mark the birds then. Any ideas to get him to do this?